We Knew
by Neth
Summary: Six years on, Rodney is injured and John is upset until he finds out a secret. Finished.


**We knew**

Author: Neth

Rating: PG-13

Summery: Six years on, Rodney is injured and John is upset until he finds out a secret.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not the characters, not the shows (SG-1 or SGA) and not the exploits of a certain modern day Lazarus.

Author's Note: I'm not sure when the idea came to me, but I read a line somewhere where John was telling Rodney how he'd been trying to protect him. Completely different situation to what's in here, as I recall, but it sparked something that grew and grew until I had to write it down. Hope you like, feedback always appreciated.

Rodney lay in the infirmary bed, with both an IV line and Blood line feeding into his left arm. AB negative, extremely rare. Just like him, Rodney thought. It had been six years since they'd first come to Atlantis, and since then only sporadic contact with Earth was possible. They got new personnel every now and then, but for the most part they were on their own. John had been promoted to Lt. Colonel, Jinto was begging Rodney to take him in as an apprentice when he was old enough and some thought it only a matter of time before the colony declared independence from Earth. And in all that time, there had been many battles with the Wraith, and AG-1 had become the SG-1 of Atlantis. They'd just come back from a dangerous mission and Rodney had been severely injured, whilst the others had only had broken bones and pulled muscles.

"I never wanted this you know. I wanted to protect you, never wanted you to become a soldier." Came the voice of his good friend, his best friend.

"I know you didn't. I also knew it would happen. Knew I'd change. Though, I'm still a genius."

"How?" he was confused, and not at all thrown off by the genius comment.

Rodney knew that John had been told stories of the SGC and their exploits by those who'd been there, Rodney included, but he really had no idea. And, though the military weren't supposed to know, strictly speeking, John had a right to.

"Dr. Jackson. The man was there on the first trip to Abydos, and a year later his wife was kidnapped by the Goa'uld and made a host, then fell pregnant and he delivered the baby. Not that he ever blamed the boy. He was drugged up and practically raped by Hathor. He's been tortured, has died and come back more times than should be possible. He's been to hell and back, forced into an addiction and withdraw as bad if not worse in some ways than heroin. He died from radiation poisoning, one of the worst ways to go there is! When he started, he was a scientist who'd never fired a gun, hated violence. He loved peace, and was as far from a soldier you could get. Not five years later, he could fight as well as a soldier, scan an area like one, and if needed act like one. He could pass off as a member of black ops missions, gets put undercover, and is probably a better shot than many members of the military and could definitely hold out under torture better"

"And…" the Lt. Colonel didn't understand the relevence even if he was clever, especially for military.

"John, I knew this when I signed on to coming to Atlantis. I knew this when I signed onto AG-1. Every scientist in the SGC and in Atlantis knows about Dr. Jackson, knows that he's been through hell. We know that the world opened to us by the Stargate is dangerous. We know that if you are on an off-world team, especially one designed for first contact you run a lot of risks. We know that if you're on the primary team, it's more than likely that we'll get captured, tortured, die and that we come back to life once or twice is only a maybe. We know that if we go onto a first contact teams, we _will_ be soldiers after a few years, even if our hearts are still scientists."

John looked at him with eyes showing pain, regret and awe. He still didn't understand properly, Rodney needed to explain.

"I knew, Elizabeth, Carson, any other scientist here knew the risks when coming here. We knew that there would be danger, pain and death. We knew, perhaps more than you did, what we might go through. I knew, when I joined your team, what would happen even if I did complain often about the danger. I knew, even if I would always be a scientist first and foremost, I would also be a soldier within years. Because of Dr. Daniel Jackson, multiple PhD we all knew. We don't tell you military people this, though I suppose if you ask General O'Neill or Colonel Car – Shanahan they could tell you. We got briefed by Dr. Jackson on the risks."

"I didn't…."

"I know you didn't. You weren't supposed to. You're military, and military aren't supposed to know."

"So, why'd you tell me?"

"Because even if you are military, you're also a math geek. Even if you hide it. That's enough to almost make you one of us. Besides, I'm a genius. I'm allowed to point out facts to those not blessed with my intelligence."

"I did pass the test for Mensa."

"But didn't join, and still won't. Therefor, not a genius. I don't care what you're IQ is."

"Higher than yours" John responded with a grin.

"It is not, you simply like to imagine that it is, to fuel your delusions of grandeur."

"Delusions of grandeur? Think you have the wrong person McKay."

"I think not. That gene and having passed that test has gone to your head. Which, by the way, is big enough as it is. All you pilots think you're above the rest."

"But we normally are McKay, by several thousand feet."

Elizabeth walked up to the infirmary door about to go in and see Rodney, and Sheppard. The team leader was taking it way to personally that Rodney got injured, and that he wasn't just a scientist anymore. However, before she could open the door the sound of laughter spilled into the hallway.

A grin on her face, she turned back heading towards command. She had some work to do, and she could always visit later. The two men were going to be just fine. Just like always.

Side Note 1: Of all blood AB is the rarest. I think like only 3 percent of people in the UK have it, and though it varies through different countries, it is almost always the rarest. AB positive is rare enough (what I have) but AB negative is super-rare. If that's even a proper term. Good news is, us AB people can receive blood from _anyone_. A, B, AB or O, but can only give blood to those with the same type. It just seemed to fit Rodney, can take from anyone, but give only to a few. Understand so much, but so few understand him. And yes, I know blood type has nothing to do with personality, but what the hay.


End file.
